Logano Wins at Richmond in 300th Career Start

Originally written for CLNS Media.

Joey Logano won the Toyota Owners 400 from Richmond International Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Logano took the lead on the final restart, and he pulled away from Kyle Larson over the final 20 laps.  Logano said he was able to use his car’s short-run speed to get to victory lane.

Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

“We had a good enough restart to get enough cushion, but [Brad Keselowski] was catching me a couple tenths a lap there,” Logano said.  “We won with a car that may not have been the winning car.”

Logano was able to win in his 300th career start, and he said he was proud of his team for their hard work in getting him to victory for the first time in 2017.

“It’s nice to finally break through to get a win,” Logano said.  “I was driving my guts out.  Coming from the back…to bring this Shell-Pennzoil Ford into victory lane, man that feels really good.”

Logano’s teammate Keselowski had one of the fastest cars of the race, but a late-race restart trapped him behind a slower car.

“That last restart, there were about five or six cars that stayed out,” Keselowski said.  “We got behind one that was really slow and didn’t really go, and we lost two or three spots before we could get going.”

Keselowski said if the final run had been a bit longer he would have been able to catch Logano for the win.

“We had a ton of long-run speed,” Keselowski said.  “We weren’t good enough to pass cars on the short run, we just had to hold serve and go on the long run.  Just kept getting all those yellows at the end and couldn’t make anything of it.”

“What we needed was ten more laps; wish this was the Richmond 410.”

Unofficial results:

1. Joey Logano

2. Brad Keselowski

3. Denny Hamlin

4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

5. Kevin Harvick

6. Jamie McMurray

7. Ryan Newman

8. Kurt Busch

9. Aric Almirola

10. Martin Truex Jr.

11. Jimmie Johnson

12. Daniel Suarez

13. Trevor Bayne

14. Kyle Larson

15. Clint Bowyer

16. Kyle Busch

17. Chris Buescher

18. Danica Patrick

19. David Ragan

20. Austin Dillon

21. Landon Cassill

22. Kasey Kahne

23. Matt Kenseth

24. Chase Elliott

25. Paul Menard

26. Ty Dillon

27. Cole Whitt

28. Matt DiBenedetto

29. Michael McDowell

30. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

31. Gray Gaulding

32. Corey LaJoie

33. Reed Sorenson

34. Timmy Hill

35. Jeffrey Earnhardt

36. Ryan Blaney

37. AJ Allmendinger

38. Erik Jones

Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

Weekly Pull List: 4/26/2017

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on CBR.

IDW
D4VEocracy #3

Marvel
Ben Reilly The Scarlet Spider #1
Deadpool Vs. The Punisher #2
Rocket Raccoon #5
Star Wars Darth Maul #3
Thanos #6

Jimmie Johnson Wins Rain-Delayed Food City 500

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Jimmie Johnson won the rain-delayed Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway on Monday afternoon.

Photo courtesy Adam Niemeyer

Johnson took the lead late in the race, and led the final 21 laps on his way to victory lane for the second-straight race weekend.  Johnson said he was happy his car handled well late and that he didn’t have to fight anyone for the lead in the closing laps.

“I was happy to get away at the end and not have to worry about Clint [Bowyer] or anybody else behind me,” Johnson said.  “Our cars have been very capable of running up front, and it’s been nice these last two weeks to execute from the start of the race.”

Leading up to the race, Bristol Motor Speedway staff sprayed a sticky substance known as VHT on the bottom lane of the track to add grip.  The track staff wanted the track to return to the “old Bristol,” with single-file racing with drivers using their bumpers to move one another out of the way.

Johnson said the racing was fun, and that the VHT helped the bottom lane compete with the top line.

“There were so many competitive passes and so much racing going on over the course of the event,” Johnson said.  “I think the bulk of the race they did a nice job with the VHT on the bottom…second line finally came in and a very exciting race.”

Kyle Larson led a race-high 202 laps, but a speeding penalty late in the race caused him to restart in the back of the pack.  Larson was able to recover to finish sixth, but said he was disappointed he cost himself a shot at the victory.

“I knew I gave the race away there,” Larson said.  “Disappointed in myself.  I was surprised I was able to line up with an opportunity there at the end.”

“I think even if I was able to get to the lead, I don’t think I would have won because Jimmie and Clint were way faster than I was.”

Unofficial results:

1. Jimmie Johnson

2. Clint Bowyer

3. Kevin Harvick

4. Matt Kenseth

5. Joey Logano

6. Kyle Larson

7. Chase Elliott

8. Martin Truex Jr.

9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

10. Denny Hamlin

11. Trevor Bayne

12. Jamie McMurray

13. Austin Dillon

14. Ryan Newman

15. Ty Dillon

16. Paul Menard

17. Erik Jones

18. Daniel Suarez

19. Matt DiBenedetto

20. Kasey Kahne

21. Cole Whitt

22. Aric Almirola

23. David Ragan

24. Corey LaJoie

25. Kurt Busch

26. Michael McDowell

27. Jeffrey Earnhardt

28. Reed Sorenson

29. Gray Gaulding

30. AJ Allmendinger

31. Derrike Cope

32. Landon Cassill

33. Ryan Blaney

34. Brad Keselowski

35. Kyle Busch

36. Danica Patrick

37. Timmy Hill

38. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

39. Chris Buescher

Photo courtesy Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Thanks to Adam Niemeyer for the photo of Jimmie Johnson on Monday.  Check out more of his work on his blog.

Weekly Pull List: 4/19/2017

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on CBR.

BOOM! Studios
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers #14

IDW
Back to the Future #18

Image
Sex Criminals #18

Marvel
Deadpool #29
Punisher #11
Secret Empire #0
Silk #19
Star Wars Poe Dameron #13
Star-Lord #6
Venom #6

Weekly Pull List: 4/12/2017

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on CBR.

Marvel
Amazing Spider-Man #26
Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows #6
Deadpool and the Mercs for Money #10
Deadpool Vs. The Punisher #1
Guardians of the Galaxy #19
Gwenpool #14
Spider-Man 2099 #22
Star Wars Doctor Aphra #6

Johnson Wins at Texas

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Jimmie Johnson won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on Sunday for his record seventh victory at Texas Motor Speedway.

Johnson came into the race on Sunday with only one top 10 in the first six races of the season.  Johnson said he was able to prove to his critics that he and his team weren’t worried about their slow start.

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

“Really in our wheelhouse and we were able to execute all day,” Johnson said.  “Guess I remembered how to drive and this team remembered how to do it.”

The win also came in the first race at the newly-repaved and reconfigured Texas Motor Speedway.  Johnson said the track surface was starting to come in at the end of the race.

“The way it finished now…I think we could run a race and put on a good show,” Johnson said.  “It’ll just take a little time for this track to age; nothing out of the ordinary.”

Kyle Larson had one of the fastest cars of the race, but he finished second after getting held up by Joey Logano in the closing laps.  Larson said his car was good enough to challenge Johnson for the victory.

“I wish I could have gotten by Joey a couple laps sooner, I think I could have had a shot at Jimmie,” Larson said.  “I had a better car than most…I could really stay low off of Turn 2 and could pass people in traffic.”

“Another second-place for us; extended our points lead a little.”

Unofficial results:

1. Jimmie Johnson

2. Kyle Larson

3. Joey Logano

4. Kevin Harvick

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

6. Brad Keselowski

7. Jamie McMurray

8. Martin Truex Jr.

9. Chase Elliott

10. Kurt Busch

11. Clint Bowyer

12. Ryan Blaney

13. Trevor Bayne

14. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

15. Kyle Busch

16. Matt Kenseth

17. Ty Dillon

18. Aric Almirola

19. Daniel Suarez

20. AJ Allmendinger

21. Chris Buescher

22. Erik Jones

23. Michael McDowell

24. Danica Patrick

25. Denny Hamlin

26. Ryan Newman

27. JJ Yeley

28. David Ragan

29. Landon Cassill

30. Cole Whitt

31. Matt DiBenedetto

32. Corey Lajoie

33. Austin Dillon

34. Gray Gaulding

35. Reed Sorenson

36. Paul Menard

37. Derrike Cope

38. Kasey Kahne

39. Timmy Hill

40. Jeffrey Earnhardt

Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

Weekly Pull List: 4/5/2017

All the comics available this week can be found on ComicList, and any comic book news is on CBR.

Marvel
Nova #5
Slapstick #5
Spider-Man #15
Spider-Man Deadpool #16
Spider-Man Homecoming Prelude #2
Star Wars #30
X-Men Gold #1

Keselowski Wins at Martinsville

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Brad Keselowski won the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Photo courtesy Getty Images

Keselowski had a strong car, but Kyle Busch looked to be the class of the field most of the day.  But as the race wound down, Keselowski was able to work his way around Busch to take the lead and head to victory lane.

Keselowski said he was happy to finally take home a grandfather clock as a race-winner at Martinsville.

“We’ve run so good here with the Miller Lite Ford, but something always happens,” Keselowski said.  “We were able to bring it home.”

Keselowski said joining the list of legends that has won at Martinsville is a career honor.

“A lot of legends have been able to win here, and it feels great to be able to join them,” Keselowski said.  “Martinsville is just one of those champion’s tracks, where the guys that run well everywhere run well here.”

Busch had a fast car all day, but he gave up the lead to Keselowski over the final green flag run.  Busch said his car didn’t react well to the last set of tires.

“All we did was put four tires on it and it went to junk,” Busch said.  “I hate it for our guys; they deserved better finishes than we’ve been able to produce and here’s another one today.”

“We were lights-out faster than those guys after 20 laps or so…we were really struggling; I was surprised we were able to hold off [Chase Elliott].”

Unofficial results:

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Kyle Busch

3. Chase Elliott

4. Joey Logano

5. Austin Dillon

6. AJ Allmendinger

7. Clint Bowyer

8. Ryan Newman

9. Matt Kenseth

10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

11. Chris Buescher

12. Erik Jones

13. Trevor Bayne

14. Kasey Kahne

15. Jimmie Johnson

16. Martin Truex Jr.

17. Kyle Larson

18. Aric Almirola

19. Paul Menard

20. Kevin Harvick

21. Cole Whitt

22. Ty Dillon

23. Danica Patrick

24. David Ragan

25. Ryan Blaney

26. Michael McDowell

27. Landon Cassill

28. Corey Lajoie

29. Gray Gaulding

30. Denny Hamlin

31. Reed Sorenson

32. Daniel Suarez

33. Timmy Hill

34. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

35. Matt DiBenedetto

36. Jeffrey Earnhardt

37. Kurt Busch

38. Jamie McMurray

Photo courtesy Getty Images